Top roll positioning and pressureapplying means for textile drafting machine



Jan. 27, 1959 w. w. WERTH TOP ROLL POSITIONING AND PRESSURE-APPLYING MEANS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

WILLIAM w. WERTH. BY

ATTHY.

Janii27, 1959 Q w:w. WERTH 2,870,488

TOP sou. POSITIONING AND PRESSURE- FLYING MEANS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MA NE Filed March 17. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM w. WE RTH gmww Jan. 27, 1959 W. W. WERTH f'OP'ROL-Lv POSITIONING AND PRESSURE-APPLYING MEANS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17, 1954 INVEN TOR.

Fig.8 I

WILLIAM W. WERTH.

TOP ROLL POSITIONING AND PRESSURE- APPLYING MEANS FOR TEXTILE DRAFT- I ING MACHINE William W. Werth, Douglas, Mass.,"assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 17, 1954, Serial No. 416,800

4 Claims. (Cl. 19-135) This invention relates to machinessuch asroving and spinning frames used for drafting slivers or rovings of textile fibers in the production of yarn. In such machines, the sliver or roving is drafted between pairs of top and bottom drafting rolls, and with or without coacting aprons. The bottom rolls are continuously rotated,

and certain of the top rolls are rotated by fractional con- 7 tact with their cooperating bottom rolls.

It is necessary to firmly force the top rolls downward by applying a predetermined pressure thereto, and it is also necessary to provide convenient means for changing and V Provision must from operative adjusting the predetermined pressure. also be made for removing the top rolls position for cleaning or replacement, and

without loss of the predetermined adjustment of the top roll pressure. It is the general object of my invention to provide im-f V proved and simplified means for attaining the above- 2,870,488 Patented Jan. 27, 1959 1 tive position in Fig. 1, and the arm 14 is shown in raised described results with exceptional safety and reliability. i To the attainment of this general object, I provide improved means for supporting the front top roll in either operative or inoperative position,

for'firmly clamping and forcing downward the front and middle top rolls when in operative position, and for adjusting the pressure on these;

top rolls. I also provide an improved clearer device to be used in association with my improved positioning and pressure-applying means. i

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims. A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of parts of a drafting machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a clamping and pressure-applying mechanism to be described;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in an unclamped position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bearingend of the top roll arm, and with the arm in raised position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of certain parts showninFig.4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my improved clearer, shown in association with a pair of long-draft aprons;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the clearenpartly in sec- 1 tion, taken along the line 7-7 in Fig.6; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the clearer, looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. 7.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown parts of a drafting machine, such as a spinning frame, and includinga': fixed .frame mem'ber 10, a front bottomroll 11, and a front top roll 12. The top roll front top roll bearing to be in turn is mounted in the free swinging end of an arm 14. The arm 14 is also provided with a pivotal rear end bear- 12 is mounted in ayieldin'g described and whichvbearing ing 15 adapted to swing about a fixed bearing rod 17.

Middle bottom and top rolls A and B and back bottom and top rolls C and D are shown in Fig. 1.

The top front ro1l12 and arm 14 are shown in operaposition in Figs. 4 and 5.

Special devices best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are pro vided for retaining the arm 14 in fully raised position.

These devices comprise a cam member 18 fixed on the 'shaft 17 and having a projecting portion 19, separating clearance grooves 20 at each side thereof. A narrow ledge 21 is provided along the right-hand edge of the projection 19. A latch 24 is pivoted at 25 in the end member15,,and a flat upper surface 26 of said latch'is engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 27 which holds it normally radial to the rod 17.

As the arm 14 is swung upward, the latch 24 wipes over the projection 19 and snaps into the holding position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. In this position, the latch 24 engages the ledge 21 and holds the arm 14 and the associatedtop roll in raised position.

In order to release the arm for return to operative position, the arm is raised further to move the latch 24 off of the projection 19, whereupon the plunger 27 snaps the latch to the position shown in broken lines at the left in Fig. 5 and designated 24a.

The arm 14 may now be lowered, and during this movement the latch 24 will drag over the projection 19 and ledge 21 and then snap into the position indicated in brokenlines at 24b in Fig. 5. Convenient means is thus provided for holding the arm 14 in raised or inoperative position, and for facilitating return of the arm to operative position when desired. Also, the arm 14 may be lifted off entirely if desired.

The yielding front top roll bearing comprises a plunger 7 30 (Fig. 2) slotted at its lower end to rotatably receive theroll 12, which may be held therein by a friction clamp.

31. A spring 32 forces the plunger 30 yieldingly downwardin the arm 14, and the pressure of the spring can be adjusted by inserting a screw-driver through the top of the arm to engage and adjust a threaded member 34.

Special provision is made for firmly clamping and locking the arm 14 in lowered or operative position. A stand 40 (Fig. 2) is clamped to the frame member 10, and at.

its upper end the stand 40 is slotted or forked and supports a fixed cross rod or stud 41. A clamping member 42 has a book 43 which may be swung under the stud 41 and which may thereafter be pulled against to force the arm 14 down and to further compress the spring 32 which applies pressure to the front top roll 12.

The clamping member 42 is pivoted on a pin 44 extending loosely through the sides of the lever 45 which extends upward above the arm 14 and which has a handle 46.

A guide-pin (Fig. 2) is mounted in the lower end of a U-shapedbracket 51, which in turn is secured to the arm 14. The pin 50 extends through a cam slot 52 in the clamping member 42 and also provides a pivot for the lower ends of spaced swinging arms 54, the upper ends of which are pivoted on a cross-pin 55. This cross-pin 55 is mounted in the spaced side portions of the lever 45. Arcuate slots 56 (Fig. 2) are provided in the bracket 51 to permit limited swinging movement of the pin 55. The top pivot-pin 44 of the clamping member 42 extends through vertical slots 58 in the bracket 51.

The lever 45 is shown in inoperative or released positionin Fig. 3 and with the hook 43 at the lower end of the member 42 out of alignment with the fixed .stud 41, so that the arm 14 may be swung freely upward.

In order to secure the parts in operative relation, the handle 46 and lever 45 are swung to the raised position shown in Fig. 2. Such movement straightens the toggle formed by the arms or links 54 and the spaced lower end portions of the lever 45. This has the effect of moving the member 42 upward in the bracket 51.

During the start of this movement, the member 42 and its cam slot 52 are moved upward relative to the stud 50, which thereupon imparts a swinging movement to the member 42 and swings the hook 43 under the stud 41, as indicated in Fig. 2. Continued upward swinging movement of the lever 45 draws the latch 42 upward relative to the bracket 51 and arm 14. As the member 42 is prevented from rising by the fixed stud 50, the arm 14 is necessarily moved downward, further compressing the spring 32 and increasingly applying pressure to the top roll 12.

Obviously the upper relative position of the member 42 in the arm 14 is determined by the fixed mechanical linkage of the lever 45, so that, whenever the lever is moved to the raised position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 32 will be compressed to the same predetermined extent. As previously stated, the predetermined spring pressure may be adjusted by changing the setting of the threaded member 34.

Convenient application of pressure to the top roll and quick release of the top roll arm are thus provided.

Special provision is shown for applying pressure to the middle top roll B. A guide member 60 (Fig. 3) has limited adjustment lengthwise of the arm 14 and is secured by a screw 61 inserted through a slot 62. The lower part of the member 60 comprises side plates 63 and a connecting back plate 64 (Fig. 3). The side plates 63 have beveled lower end portions 65 and open slots 66 to correctly position the middle top rolls B. A bearing block 67 is slidable upwardly on a screw 68 mounted in the member 60, and each block 67 is pressed downward by a spring 69.

As the arm 14 is swung downward, the bevelled end portions 65 of the member 60 guide the connecting bearing portion B of the middle top roll B into the open slots 66 and into the spring-pressed bearing block '67 and pressur'e is applied to the roll )3. U

When the arm 14 isswung upward, the roll 13 is left free but is held from substantial displacement by a fixed stop 6% which normally slightly clears the roll bearing portion B.

The mechanism heretofore described is quite commonly used in conjunction with long-draft aprons, as indicated in Fig. 6. Lower aprons 70 and upper aprons 71 are mounted on the middle rolls A and B, the roll A being continuously and positively rotated. The aprons 70 and 71 at their front or lower ends are passed around stationary guide-bars 74 and 75. The top rolls B may be gear-driven from the bottom roll A.

I have also provided improved means for clearing the upper long-draft aprons 71. This means comprises a clearer arm 80 (Figs. 6 and 7) freely pivoted on a cross rod 81 fixed to the arm 14 and having a pad or block 82 of felt or suitable fabric. A weight 83 may be used to provide a desired clearing pressure.

The arm 80 is preferably of sheet metal, having its end bent around as indicated at 85 to freely embrace the cross rod 81. A cross stud 8S fixed in the-rod 81 extends through a slot 89 in the bearing portion85-of the clearer arm, and thus permits limited free swinging movement of the arm, while at the same time preventing axial displacement. By swinging the clearer arm 80 anti-clockwise to a substantially reverse angular poherein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims,

but what I claim is:

1. In a textile drafting machine having a continuously rotated front bottom roll and a front top roll mounted above said bottom roll and frictionally driven thereby, in combination, a shaft mounted in fixed position substantially rearward of said rolls, an arm pivoted on said shaft, a front top roll bearing yieldingly mounted at the front and free end of said arm, a spring to apply pressure to said bearing, an abutment mounted in fixed position in said machine, a clamping member mounted on said arm, separate upper and lower pi'n-and-slot connections between said clamping member and said arm, and manual means to move the upper end of said clamping member upward relative to said arm with a substantially straight-line movement as determined by said upper pin-and-slot connection and to simultaneously swing the lower end of said clamping member transversely by the cam action of said lower pin-and-slot connection to engage said clamping member under said abutment at the start of the relative upward movement of said clamping member.

2. The combination in a textile drafting machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the manual means comprises ahaiidle pivoted on said arm, and a toggle connection between said handle and said clamping member by whichthe lower end ofsaid chamber member may be moved transversely of said arm to operative position and will be locked in said operative position.

3. iii a textile drafting machine having a continuously rotated front bottom roll and a front top roll mounted above said bottom roll and frictionally driven thereby, in combination, a shaft mounted in fixed position substantially rearward of said rolls, an arm pivoted on said shaft, a front top roll bearing yieldingly mounted at the front and free end of s'aid arm, a positioning membei fixed an said: shaft and having a ledge parallel to said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm and engageable with s aid'ledge to hold said arm in raised position, and

spring means to yieldinglyret urn said latch to alignment with th e axis of said shaft whenever released, and said positioning member having recessed portions at each side of said ledge to permit such return movement of said latch to aligned position by said spring means when said arm is raised beyond latched position.

4. The combination in a textile drafting machine as set forth in claim 1, in which fixed means is associated with said abutment and is located adjacent but not normally in contact with said middle top roll and in which said fixed means is effective to prevent substantial transverse displacement of the middle top roll when said middle top roll is released from said arm and from said additional tension-applying means and when said middle top roll is resting freely on said middle toproll. 

